Where beer geeks get offended. Welcome to the world of beer as viewed by the founder of the New Albanian Brewing Company in New Albany, Indiana, who reminds you that beer is far too important to be left to Rate Advocate.

Thursday, August 02, 2012

NABC on the road: Great Taste of the Midwest (Madison WI; 08/11/12).

The Great Taste of the Midwest takes place in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday, August 11, and once again, NABC will be there. Here's the beer list for 2012.

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NABC Beer Descriptions, for the Great Taste of the Midwest 2012 official program.

The great Bill Monroe described his bluegrass music as "Scottish bagpipes and ole-time fiddlin'. It’s Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It's blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound." Our Black & Blue Grass begs to concur. Belgian yeast and stateside Saison spicing; black pepper and blue agave and lemongrass, and a great bet alongside any food you have around.

It all began as a Belgo-American ménage a trois, but then the brewers arrived and transformed the trans-oceanic affair into a beer love pentangle. The collaborative minds at Louisville Beer Store, De Struise Brouwers and New Albanian Brewing Company offer this, a willfully disobedient India Blonde Ale with a hop on her shoulder.

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Oaktimus

ABV: 10.7%

OG: 22.6 degrees Plato

IBU: 100

Imperial IPA (Oak Aged Hoptimus)

Malts: Special Pale

Hops: Four additions of high alpha Nugget, one late addition of Cascade, dry-hopped with whole cone Cascades

Yeast: House American Ale

Aged in Sterner Stuff

When aged on oak, Hoptimus becomes Oaktimus. Living vicariously through others is a sad compromise meant only for rank amateurs and subpar international lagers. Rather, we all might profit from the principled example of Hoptimus, which lives vivaciously, audaciously and capriciously through itself. With a snarky hop character that is blatantly unrepentant, Hoptimus ensures that meek palates surely will not inherit the earth.

“Yakima is simple in design: This beer is for me, the hophead Brewmaster here in the land of no coast. After many years of liquid research, the time came to satisfy my inner desire to craft a Rye IPA so immaculate that it would ‘up’ our revolution even further. Mission accomplished.” -- Jared Williamson, formerly of NABC, now brewing at Schlafly

Special: Raisins and cocoa added to mash, cacao nibs in the kettle, and "Dry Nibbed" in the bright for two months prior to filling barrels

Yeast: House Ale

“Go forth and proceed”
The first batches of Bourbondaddy appeared in 2003 and 2004. The 10th anniversary revival version began life as an Imperial Chocolate Mik Stout, and then was racked into Angel's Envy barrels for four months’ aging.

Along with Bourbondaddy, Stumble Bus is the most fondly remembered seasonal ale brewed by NABC’s founding brewer, Michael Borchers. Was it Imperial IPA, or was it Barleywine? What is it now? It’s not the destination; it’s the journey.

The finest malt liquor yet devised by man
First came Bush Hog, and then its logical culmination, Turbo Hog (sans paper bags). Augmented with corn, boosted in strength, and refashioned as a malt liquor, it was a briefly invigorating experiment. Boss Hog was planned, but never brewed.

David Pierce, NABC’s Director of Brewing Operations, has been telling young punks to get off his lawn since long before he even had a lawn. Back then, we didn’t have craft beer. Now we use it to mow our lawns once the hipsters are gone.